NOTHING comes cheap these days. Though pensions and poor salaries continue to rise at the rate of low inflation, businesses -- and councils -- think nothing of slapping huge increases on the cost of their services.

Leigh pensioner Albert Barker has written asking me to expose the unfair rise again this year in the charge for senior citizens to swim at Howe Bridge.

On April 1 swimming with a linc card went up from £1.10 to £1.45 -- a whacking 30 plus per cent.

He tells me that since 2001 the rise has been kept to 5p a year, but linc users are now also being charged £1 to renew their cards, something that older residents should be allowed to have for life.

Albert says it seems Wigan Council have a 'punish the pensioners agenda', but I'd say they are having to pay the heavy price for the government making local council's impose the lowest council tax rise for years.

I also read two letters that came into the office this week complaining about nursery charges rising by 100pc on Hag Fold.

It's happening everywhere and it's not fair, but it seems if they can't raise the brass one way they'll get it another.